Danish writer Reuter (The Boys from St. Petri
) dishes up a heaping portion of swashbuckling adventure in this 17th-century epic. Tom O'Connor, a half-British, half-Irish 14-year-old, helps his mother, a servant at an inn on the Caribbean island of Nevis. An opening scene will pique the audience's interest with its colorful portrayal of a palm reading, wherein a disreputable fortuneteller finds in Tom a paradoxical blend of nobility, purity and villainy. He has big dreams of making a fortune by capturing an enslaved prince and releasing him to his father, an African chief. First, however, Tom has to find the prince. Bidding his mother and half-sister goodbye, the young protagonist embarks on a quest, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. As he journeys through the Caribbean Islands on land and by sea, Tom finds treachery, trickery, love and compassion in the most unexpected places. His courage and resourcefulness are tested time and again as he takes on jobs as a blacksmith's assistant, an overseer at a sugar plantation and a crewmember of a Spanish galleon. Tom emerges as a boy of many contradictions, threatening murder and saving lives in practically the same breath. Readers will stay on the edge of their seats waiting to find out what path he will choose, and if he ends up a ruthless pirate or celebrated hero. Following the author's meticulously plotted story line is sheer delight. Ages 12-up. (Jan.)
